1.Scheduled return Saturday 1:00PM SFO-SLC-DTW on DL. There were better options with availability, eg 12:30 non stop on NW, but neither NW nor DL would permit it. At 11:15AM received a call from DL but despite long wait on hold, no information. I called DL and after a few minutes was assured no problem. Again received a call from DL and now told the flight was delayed enough that connection was missed and we had been rerouted on the 9:45PM NW non-stop.By now (12 noon), of course, the 12:30 non-stop and other options were unavailable. Spent 10 hours in the SFO President Club. (BTW, the PC indicated that we may still have access until near end of year--nothing definite yet)

2. Tomorrow AM my wife (also Plat) is scheduled DTW-SLC. Traveling with pet in cabin.Not upgraded, but 6 of 12 first class seats remained as of early afternoon today. Tried unsuccessfully to checkin online (probably unable bc of pet), so unable to see her position on the upgrade list.Suddenly all FC seats gone, and Delta says "well of course, her SkyMiles number is not in" Right, only her WP number.

As of today we have almost never upgraded on DL flights.

Fully agree with you on point 1. I was flying MSP-SLC-LAS a couple of weeks ago, all on DL metal (award ticket). Got off work real early that day, in time for me to take the noon-ish MSP-LAS nonstop that would get me into LAS for a late lunch buffet at Spice Market.

Try to do a standby/same day change to the NW flight (don't even care about F seats - just give me a window or aisle in coach!) - no can do. Got to hang out in the MSP WorldClub for an extra 3 hours and take a connection via SLC, where I had another 2 hour layover.

I can't wait until we can easily go back and forth on same-day changes between NW and DL.

What are the reasons you are given for not being allowed to FlyNow or Standby?

I was told it was system issues between DeltaMatic and PARS.

It was an award ticket that I was on, where NW said that award ticket inventory needed to be available to be able to go on the NW metal nonstop (which there wasn't). DL's SDC rules don't make any difference to what type of ticket you're on - rev or award - if there's a seat left in that cabin (even if it's Y1), you can SDC onto it, no questions asked.

I'm pretty sure on the day of, you can standby and get on another flight with an award ticket even if award bucket is not open. The only time I've been denied standby was when plane was full. In my experience, rerouting would be the reason the GA would deny such request.

Did you try to BUMP on to NW?

Did not want to do BUMP simply because it was the outbound of my trip - everything I had read about BUMP was warnings on using it on the outbound. I wanted to stick with my LAS-SLC-MSP itinerary on the way back since I could take a 430p flight with a connection, rather than nonstops at 2 pm or the redeye and didn't want to risk anything with that flight.

It sounded more like an issue with getting the ticket over onto NW - if I had been on a later NW nonstop, it most likely would have worked, though gone to standby (since NW won't do FlyNow if the flight is overbooked - DL will do SDC if it is overbooked, it's based on inventory for sale, not physical seats sold vs. seats on the plane).

DL said Same Day Confirmed is restricted to DL metal. NW said they wouldn't allow switch to NW (in advance). I could have tried BUMP but FC looked dicey and we had already upgraded on DL